Teacher testifies about being shot as attempted murder trial starts in Moncton
CBC
A teacher testified he thought he was being pranked before being shot in the arm almost three years ago while leaving a high school basketball practice in Riverview.
Christopher Leger was the fourth witness to testify in Janson Bryan Baker's trial, which began Monday in Moncton.
The 27-year-old is accused of attempting to murder Leger with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun on Jan. 5, 2021, outside Riverview High School.
It's among the 16 charges Baker faces, including attempting to rob Leger of a gym bag, and allegedly using the shotgun to attempt to rob Joshua Hebb that same day.
Leger testified he was walking home after coaching a varsity boys basketball team with Hebb. While outside the school, he said a vehicle pulled up beside them and demanded they hand over their belongings.
"My instinct was a kid playing a prank," Leger testified.
He said he looked at Hebb, whose reaction suggested it wasn't a prank. Leger said he looked back toward the vehicle and saw a gun through the driver's side window.
"'Do you want to fucking die? Give me your bag,'" Leger testified the driver yelled.
Leger said he began to remove his bag, which he said had sneakers in it, but felt like he was about to be shot anyway and started to turn away. That's when he said he felt pressure in his arm and realized he had been shot.
The car immediately drove off without Leger or Hebb's belongings. Leger testified he had been shot in the arm, with shotgun pellets lodged in various places, including his left shoulder, cheek and arm.
He testified that 19 pellets were left in his arm and that he was left with reduced mobility and nerve damage.
Crown prosecutors played surveillance footage which showed the car approach and the shooting unfold within about 10 seconds. After watching the video, Crown prosecutor Malika Levesque asked Leger what he noticed compared to his memory.
"I remember it taking a lot longer than that," Leger said.
"What did you do to provoke that individual?" Levesque asked.
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